Exposed
by angellwings
Summary: He'd yet to even meet Darcy Lewis and he didn't think the first time should be as she was curled up naked in his shower.
1. Before Steve Met Darcy (Officially)

Exposed

By angellwings

* * *

_Before Steve Met Darcy (Officially)_

* * *

Darcy slowly opened the door to the empty suite in Avengers Tower. She'd been directed there by JARVIS and Tony to shower. It had been a crazy day and she was exhausted. Her iPod had been ruined and she felt like the she would never ever be clean again. And not in the fun way. There had been no energy left in her to object when she'd been directed to this particular suite.

So she decided to go with the flow. Even though that went against every instinct she had on how to deal with Tony Stark.

* * *

"_You can clean up in the Star Spangled Man's suite. He won't mind. Just don't clog his drain with your hair…or the mud," Tony said as he vaguely motioned to her whole person. "Come to think of it. You should both take off your shoes. I just had the floors waxed."_

"_Fuck off, Stark," Darcy said as she glared at his unconcerned face and flicked her dripping sleeve in his direction. A bit of mud hit him squarely on the nose and Darcy grinned victoriously. "It was your stupid invention that created the damn thing."_

"_Yeah, but I didn't ask you and Jane to science it to death," Tony said, unphased by the mud, as he turned and walked away._

"_Trust me, I would have just walked away but Jane thought she could reverse molecular transvestite polar cap the thing," Darcy exclaimed to his retreating back. "You should be thanking us!"_

_Jane rolled her eyes. "I know science isn't your thing but you could at least listen when I say things."_

"_No offense, but listening to you is what gets me into these things to begin with," Darcy told her in a dry tone. She lifted her mud-covered hand and waved it at Jane. "Exhibit A. If I had ignored your text I would have spent my Saturday afternoon eating Chinese food and watching Netflix. Not trying to seed the clouds for rain so that we could delude some gelatinous mud monster. Plus, I wouldn't have lost my iPod. Again."_

"_Please," Jane said with a grin. "You enjoyed it a little bit. You know you did."_

"_Bite me," Darcy said as she turned and headed down the corridor. "JARVIS, direct me to Captain America's suite."_

"_Right away, Ms. Lewis," The AI said obediently._

* * *

And that brought her back to now. She felt like she was trespassing. She'd only been in Avengers Tower a handful of times before this. All previous times had been because Jane finally came out of her Thor coma and needed a ride back to the lab. So she didn't exactly feel at home here to begin with and _this_ was Captain America's apartment. She had never met the guy. Not once. Sure, she'd met Son of Coul and Thor and Stark and a few other choice characters but her path had never crossed Capsicle's. It felt wrong to be in his apartment. Just plain wrong. Like defacing the Lincoln Memorial or Mount Rushmore or some other sacred American monument.

She felt completely unpatriotic. Like a traitor to the red, white, and blue. Who let herself into Uncle Sam's apartment without his express permission? It just wasn't done.

JARVIS turned on the lights for her and she gasped at the size of the place. It was huge! Way too much space for one human being. She glanced around quickly and comforted herself with the fact that the place seemed very simply furnished. It felt comfortable and lived in. Which somehow made it seem smaller and cozier. She smiled slightly in approval. It was nice to know that someone in this building had some sense of humility.

Her clothes felt heavy all of a sudden and she glanced down to see the mud drying and caking on her outfit. Oh god she felt so gross. Her misery came back to her in a sudden wave. The mud was seeping through her clothes. It was everywhere. She felt absolutely disgusting. The mud had clumped her hair and it stuck to her face at odd angles. Her glasses were frosted over with the stuff. Thankfully she'd found a cloth to clean them with enough to see. She winced as she noticed the mud dripping onto Captain America's floor.

She hoped Tony paid for the cleaning bill. She certainly wouldn't be able to afford it.

At the end of the hall she could see the bathroom. JARVIS had anticipated her and turned the light on for her. All she could think once she spotted the tile floor through the open door was…_shower_. God, she wanted a shower. She smelled _and felt_ like sewer bile. All concerns about hijacking someone else's apartment faded and she rushed to the bathroom, stripping her clothes from her battered body along the way.

The water was warm against her skin, but it wasn't enough. She turned it up until the water nearly scorched her skin. Perfection. The mud rolled off her and turned the water going down the drain a thick brick red color. That mud monster had gotten her good. She shivered as she remembered. She wasn't the type to scare easily. Normally she could handle her shit and _normally_ she could taser whatever she couldn't.

But tasers didn't work on mud monsters. It just pissed them off. She noted that in her "Lessons Learned from the Avengers Initiative" mental file. That file was getting pretty thick. She sighed and looked down at the bruises forming on her pink freshly showered skin. She never thought a mud monster would be able to bruise. Then again she'd never thought about a mud monster at all. It was like something out of Scooby Doo.

Except this definitely wasn't a man in a mask. He'd held her in his filthy claw and squeezed tight. Not only that but when he did finally put her down he let the mud pile up past her eyes. She'd been unable to breathe for what felt like ages. She honestly thought she might drown in it. She never thought she'd go out fighting a mud monster.

Her chest felt heavy all of a sudden and she could feel that muddy hand crushing her again. Oh God, how had this become her life? She hadn't signed up for this. A nerdy little internship with an astrophysicist wasn't supposed to be life threatening. How could she have known the God of Thunder would literally come crashing into her life? She considered Thor a friend but damn if he hadn't pulled her into a crazy complicated mess filled with espionage, psychotic villains, and secret organizations out to destroy the world. This was way over her head.

She was as out of her depth in Avengers Tower as she had been in that pile of mud. She leaned against the shower wall and willed herself to breathe. Something was happening. She felt frantic and out of control. She was never out of control. Well, rarely ever. But right now, she felt absolutely tiny and vulnerable. Tears stung her eyes and she slid down the wall to sit in the tub. She buried her head in her hands and sobbed. What was _wrong_ with her?

She was fucking Darcy Lewis. She could handle this. She could deal as long as she was armed with her sarcasm and her taser. But in this moment her taser was far away and her sarcasm was buried under fear and panic.

_Shit_. She thought as she felt herself curling into the fetal position and weeping even harder. The water turned lukewarm and then cold, but Darcy couldn't move. She didn't want to move. She never wanted to move again. Her left side stung suddenly and she realized breathing had become a serious struggle. It was a very painful reminder of the events of the day. She almost died today. _Jesus Christ! _She almost fucking died today. This Avengers thing that she'd stumbled into would probably and literally be the death of her.

And there was no getting out of it. She was a target whether she liked it or not. Sobs racked her again and this time she let them. For the first time in a very long time she allowed fear to overwhelm her.

* * *

Steve wasn't expected home until tomorrow, but the mission had wrapped up early thanks to Nat's exceptional interrogation skills and so here he was. He walked in the door and started to make his way to the kitchen. He was starving and in the mood for the Chinese food leftovers he knew were waiting for him. But he froze mid-stride when he noticed something dark red on his living room floor. His senses went on high alert. That wasn't right. The sight of something dark red and ominous on his floor made him glance around the room warily. Was there someone else here? Someone who was injured? His thoughts drifted to a certain brother in arms he'd yet to find and he quickly approached. As he stepped closer and knelt down to get a better look at it he realized it was a pair of jeans. A pair of small jeans and they weren't covered in blood like he'd feared. The color was off. It was too brown for blood. It looked more like rust. He noticed the way it had dried and caked on the jeans and his brow furrowed.

Was that mud? A few feet from the jeans were a jacket, a shirt, and then finally a very lacy set of underwear. All of it was drenched in the same red mud as the jeans.

_What the hell?_ Steve asked himself as he glanced around his apartment. Apparently there was a very naked woman around here somewhere. Steve jumped as JARVIS suddenly spoke up.

"Good evening, Captain Rogers, I took the liberty of letting Miss Lewis into your room to clean up from one of Mr. Stark's...accidents."

"Who?" Steve asked in confusion. "And what accident?"

"Dr. Foster's assistant, Ms. Darcy Lewis was given authorization to use your suite after helping Dr. Foster liquidate a rather large mud creature. She is currently using your restroom in an attempt to tidy up."

"Let me guess, a Stark experiment gone wrong?" Steve asked knowingly.

"Yes, Captain. It was quite a mess."

"Is that why the Times Square subway station was blocked off?" Steve asked with a sigh.

"I am afraid so, Captain."

"Is everyone alright?" Steve asked.

"Dr. Foster is with Thor in his suite and appears to be," the AI paused and Steve wondered if it was possible for a computer to struggle with words. "Well taken care of."

Steve smirked and decided yes it was possible. He collected the muddy clothes from the floor, blushing slightly as he picked up the lacy underthings, and took them to his laundry room as he asked, "And Ms. Lewis?"

"It is impossible to accurately scan her injuries in her current position," JARVIS replied.

He threw her clothes in the large sink and ran the water. He tested the temperature and frowned. It was ice cold. He paused as the AI's wording sunk in. "Her current position?"

"The fetal position does not allow a full body scan for accurate injury analysis."

Steve took in the cold water and the information JARVIS had given him and put the pieces together. "JARVIS, how long has Ms. Lewis been in the shower?"

"One hour, 45 minutes, thirty-two seconds and—"

"Thank you, JARVIS. I get the gist," Steve said with a shake of his head and a sigh. He turned off the water at the sink and then leaned against it. There was a crying naked woman in his shower. He'd never been the best with women and crying women especially were worrisome for him. "Any ideas?"

"I would advise you to check on her well-being and allow her to borrow your bathrobe, Captain," the AI told him.

Steve nodded. "Sounds reasonable enough."

On his way down the hall he grabbed the bathrobe he never used out of the linen closet and then gently wrapped his knuckles against the bathroom door. "Ms. Lewis? Everything alright in there?"

He heard choked sobs and then a small squeak.

"Oh God, what are you doing here?" A panicked yet emotional voice called through the door.

"Um, I live here," Steve said lamely.

"But they said—you're not supposed to be here!"

"My mission finished up a day early," He said slowly as he nervously ran a hand through his hair. He could hear the tears in her voice.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have—I mean I didn't mean to intrude. I just needed a place to—I can go if—"

"No, don't worry about it. I don't mind. Take all the time you need, really. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Steve said as he quickly interrupted her stuttering. "JARVIS told me about that attack. Did Stark have anyone check you for injuries?"

She was quiet for a long moment before she let out a faint. "No."

Steve cursed under his breath and shook his head. "Of course he didn't." Another silence stretched out between them and then he finally spoke, "I'm going to open the door. I swear I won't look. I'm just going to leave a bathrobe for you for whenever you finish up."

"Okay," She said softly.

He opened the door and pointedly kept his gaze away from the tub. He'd yet to even meet Darcy Lewis and he didn't think the first time should be as she was curled up naked in his shower. He felt himself blush in embarrassment as he quickly hung up the robe on one of the hooks on the wall and then shut the bathroom door again. In that moment he was very thankful for the enhanced reflexes the serum gave him. If it was possible it was more useful in this situation than it was against his enemies.

As he closed the door he heard her shut the water off and then he walked back into the laundry room. He finished running the water to soak her clothes and then came back into the living room to wait for her. There were a million things Stark did to get on his nerves. One of which was forgetting that not everyone had a suit of armor to protect them. While he waited he found his latest batch of clean laundry and pulled out sweats and a shirt. Her clothes were going to take a while. In fact, he'd be surprised if they weren't completely ruined. He set the clean clothes on the back of the couch and then sat down to wait.

She finally came out and sheepishly walked into his living room. He stood up and smiled kindly at her. She gave him half of a smile in return and cleared her throat.

"Thanks for letting me use your shower," She said. She glanced down at the floor and then around the room. "Have you—have you seen my clothes?"

"They're soaking in my laundry room."

She quirked a brow at him. "You did my laundry?"

He shrugged. "I just got it started for you."

"Of course you did," She said with a chuckle as she unwrapped her hair from the towel and then ran the towel over her hair several times to dry it. She bent at the waist slightly to reach the back of her head and hissed in pain.

"You're hurt," Steve stated as he took a step toward her. She let go of her dark hair and he could see it forming soft waves already.

She winced and shook her head. "No, I'm—I'm fine."

"JARVIS," Steve said sternly. "Can you scan her now?"

"Of course, Captain."

"Hey!" Darcy shouted indignantly as she glared at Steve. "Is nothing private around here? Geez."

"Ms. Lewis has sustained severe bruising and two cracked ribs," JARVIS stated plainly. "I recommend a regimen of pain management to prevent contracting pneumonia. The ribs should heal within six weeks."

Steve gave her a pointed look and a small sympathetic grin. "See, you're hurt."

"Yes, with something that will heal on it's own as long as I 'manage' my pain. I got this, Boy scout," Darcy said with a huff.

"I was never a boy scout," He pointed out with a small grin.

"Could have fooled me," Darcy muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest. She winced slightly in pain and Steve rolled his eyes.

"I pulled out some of my sweats for you to wear while we wash your clothes," Steve told her as he reached for the bundle of clothes and held them out to her. "I thought after you got dressed we'd take you to the infirmary to have you checked out."

"I told you, I'm fine," Darcy said as she continued to glare at him.

"Are you always this stubborn?" He asked with a glare of his own.

"No, sometimes I'm worse," Darcy said honestly.

"Why am I not surprised?" Steve asked with a smirk. "Look, I'm just trying to help." He paused and watched her thoughtfully. She was taking short shallow breaths. A sure sign that her ribs were causing her great pain. "It's hurts to breathe, right? And any time you move you feel like something's stabbing into you? You're afraid to breathe deeply because it feels like something might break if you do? Yes, the ribs will heal on their own but you could develop complications if you can't breathe deeply like you're supposed to. So, can we please take you to the infirmary to get you some _prescribed_ painkillers?"

She bit her lip for a moment and then quirked a brow at him. "You guys got the good stuff?"

He chuckled lightly and nodded. "The building is owned by Tony Stark. What do you think?"

She gave him a measuring stare and then finally accepted the clothes he'd offered her earlier. "Okay, fine. I'll go." She shifted the clothes and tucked them under her arm before carefully holding out her right hand for a shake. She'd moved slowly and he could tell she was afraid of jostling her ribs.

He shook her hand with an unusual amount of gentleness and watched closely for any signs of pain.

"Darcy Lewis. I don't believe we've met properly," She said with a light blush. God she made one hell of a first impression.

He smiled and nodded. "Steve Rogers, at your service, Ma'am."


	2. After Steve Met Darcy (Officially)

Exposed

By angellwings

* * *

After Steve Met Darcy (Officially)

* * *

They walked in silence to the infirmary. Darcy padded along in the socks she'd borrowed from him. They were too big but better than letting her walk around in bare feet. Her hair was still wet and cheeks were lightly stained with mascara and eyeliner. She looked…tired.

Not that Steve blamed her. She'd been through a lot today from what he could tell. Enough to make her take refuge in his shower for nearly two hours at least.

She twiddled her thumbs as they walked side by side and then cleared her throat. She hesitantly looked up at him.

"Um, thank you, by the way," She said awkwardly.

"For what?" He asked with a furrowed brow.

"For, you know, letting me borrow some clothes and not freaking out when you found a weeping naked girl in your shower," Darcy said as she scratched behind her ear.

"Yeah, I can't say that's ever happened to me before," Steve said with a teasing grin. "Though I did have a woman try to stow away in the back of a car once to try and get some one-on-one time before. That was…strange."

Darcy smirked at him. "Are you really that surprised though? I mean have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Most women probably have a hard time staying conscious around you. Your shoulder to waist ratio is like completely impossible."

He blushed all the way to the tips of his ears and chuckled. "Believe it or not I wasn't always like this. I used to be a skinny little sickly guy that no one paid any attention to. The difference is hard to get used to. Sometimes I don't…I guess I don't feel like it's really me."

Darcy swept her eyes over him, from head to toe, and then she nodded. "I could see that I guess. Like me suddenly waking up as Natasha or Hill. That would really weird me out. I mean I don't have the best body, but…at least it's mine."

Steve gave Darcy the same sweeping glance she gave him and bit his tongue. He had a feeling she was underestimating herself quite a bit. She wasn't athletic like Natasha or Maria, but…well she had own unique advantages. They were advantages that he had to admit he rather liked.

"Speaking of, um, your body," he said as his eyes widened and he blushed again. Darcy giggled and grinned at him. "That sounded a lot better in my head." He cleared his throat. "Aside from your ribs does anything else hurt?"

She scrunched up her nose in a thoughtful expression that caused him to smile affectionately at her. "No," She said finally. "I don't think so."

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Steve asked hesitantly.

"Do I really need to? A mud monster attacked and Jane and I just happened to be there to try and stop it. He squished me in his disgusting hand and then tried to drown me in mud. That's about it. It's really not that complicated," She told him with a shrug.

"I wasn't really talking about the attack," Steve said nervously. "I meant the fact that you've obviously been crying and that you were in the shower for nearly two hours—"

"No, I don't want to talk about that," Darcy said quickly. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because no one could blame you for—"

"I'm not a damsel in distress, _Captain_, I can handle my own shit," Darcy practically sneered. He sucked in a breath and held up his hands in surrender.

"I meant no offense, Darcy. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Steve said as they finally reached the infirmary.

She stonewalled him after that. She didn't say so much as one word to him as the doctor looked her over and asked her questions about her discomfort. Steve stayed by the door. He watched her when he was sure she wasn't looking. Her chin jutted upward proudly whenever she was her most uncomfortable and any time she winced in pain she followed it with a sarcastic remark. It was a tough act, but that's all it was. _An act_.

The doctor left to get the prescription and Steve and Darcy were alone again.

Steve cleared his throat and stepped further into the room.

"I don't know you very well, Darcy. In fact, I basically don't know you at all, but even I can tell you can handle yourself," He said apologetically. "But even the biggest and the strongest of us needs a little help every now and then. You can't take on the _whole world_ by yourself. That's all I meant."

Darcy stared at him for a long moment. He couldn't tell what she was thinking. Her expression was blank. Either she was ignoring him or she was trying to find her words. He was betting on the first option. So he sighed and retreated back to the doorframe. He turned his back to her and leaned against it. He had tried. He couldn't make her talk to him.

"I almost died today."

She was so quiet he almost didn't hear her. When she continued he turned around to face her.

"I was in mud up to my eyeballs and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. I really thought…I really thought I was a goner," Darcy said as she took a deep breath. "This is so far from where I saw myself going in life. Really really far. Never in my wildest nightmares did I imagine I'd be caught up in—in whatever the hell this is. But I am, and there's no going back. It's the mob. Once you're in, you're in for life. You know?"

He nodded but said nothing.

She motioned to him before she spoke again. "And it's not like I'm a soldier, or a scientist, or a spy or anything remotely useful. I'm an ex-intern. _With a poli-sci degree_. I am in no way prepared to be a part of this. I'm not afraid of much. I'm really not. You want me to take on some creepy ass dark elf-thing? Alright I'm game. Aliens invade New York? Sure I can deal. Norse gods turn out to be totally legit after all? I mean it's a little odd, but okay. I get it. I can process all of that and any sort of plan the most intelligent person in the rooms comes up with. No big deal that's fine."

"But?" Steve prompted as he took several steps toward her.

"But out there today, with just me and my best friend there was absolutely no organized plan. We were wingin' it and completely on our own. I mean basically it was, distract that thing and don't die!" She let out a hollow laugh. "Easier said than done believe it or not. I left my apartment this morning to meet Jane in Times Square to do some research on some weird electrical currents and I ended up nearly dying trying to get on the subway because Tony's freak show experiment had one of Jane's files downloaded into it's brain and somehow came to life. I mean, really, what was he even experimenting with to begin with? And what has my life come to that I'm targeted because I'm someone's damn assistant? I'm not super powered, I'm not super smart either…I'm completely exposed and vulnerable and a weakness that will eventually be exploited." She let out a shuddering breath and ran a shaky hand through her damp hair.

She was starting to sound frantic now. Her words were coming out faster and louder and her breathing was rapid. But when she spoke next her voice was soft. She sounded broken. Small. "What am I even doing here?"

Steve stared at her for a moment and watched as she winced and tried to lower herself off the examination table. He instinctively reached forward and took her hand to help her down. She gulped and refused to look up at him.

"Why in the hell did I just tell you all of that?" Darcy asked herself quietly. "I don't even know you. And now I've probably completely freaked you out."

He smiled warmly at her and shook his head. "No, you didn't. I get it. Believe me I do. I was determined to fight before this serum turned me into a soldier but I wasn't exactly able to and I…used to think the same thing sometimes. But, Darcy, I—I really think you're being too hard on yourself. You're underestimating your own value."

She laughed bitterly. "What value?"

She turned to walk away and he gently placed a hand on her arm to pull her back to him. She faced him reluctantly but didn't look at him.

"You seem to think you only have value if you're trained and combat ready. That's not the case at all. You don't _have_ to be on the front lines to contribute to a team, you know," Steve told her as he released her arm. "You can help however you're comfortable helping. But, for the record, I don't know many civilians who would have the guts to even take on a Mud Monster. Let alone actually succeed in taking it down. I doubt you would have been able to do that if you were really a weakness like you say. And yes, you came close to real danger, but even for us 'soldiers' that happens at least _once_ during every job. That doesn't mean you're not capable. Trust me. The numbers of times I've almost died are too many to count."

She took a deep calming breath, winced, and then met his eyes. "Really?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Are you kidding? Darcy, I crashed a plane into freezing waters to stop a secret organization from destroying the East Coast and woke up 70 years later. There's no more closer call than that."

She grinned and chuckled with him as the doctor came back in with a prescription bottle of painkillers and specific instructions for Darcy on how to care for her injuries. Once he left Steve smiled sheepishly at her and scratched the back of his neck.

"Feel any better?" He asked.

She smiled softly at him and nodded. "I do actually. Thank you."

"My pleasure," Steve said politely. "We should go check on your clothes. They've probably soaked long enough."

Darcy nodded. "Right. Let's go." She shook the bottle of pills before sticking them in the pocket of her borrowed sweat pants. "I'd rather not take these till I'm safely inside of my own apartment. Don't really want to take the subway home while I'm all doped up."

Steve chuckled. "Don't blame you for that one bit."

They made their way down the hall and this time the walk was a lot less awkward. They made small talk at first about New York. Darcy talked about how different it was moving from New Mexico where she'd basically been secluded from civilization to New York where civilization was everywhere you went. There wasn't a deserted corner anywhere in the city.

"The grass is always greener," she said with a chuckle. "The whole time we were there I just wanted out. It was a nice town, but Thor damn it was dull. The whole time I was there I just wanted one person to do something illegal. Throw a rave, grow marijuana, or break a noise ordinance or something, but now that I'm here in New York _all I want_ is a little peace and quiet. Just one day where New York is _dull_. Is that crazy?"

Steve laughed and shook his head. "That's not crazy. I grew up here and even I wish for a dull moment every now and then. It's hard to find that though. Even in my day New York was constantly moving. Seems like that's the only thing that hasn't changed."

Then they'd moved on to New York in the forties and how it had been so different and yet still basically the same. And what is was like to meet people who were the age he should have been and listen to them talk about all the decades he'd missed out on. For him the war was just two years ago, but for everyone else it was decades and decades. It was almost surreal to meet another World War II veteran for him. Like an out of body experience almost.

"When they opened that Smithsonian exhibit a lot of the Howling Commando's grandchildren showed up. I didn't know what to think that whole night. I'd never felt that old before. Not even when Tony calls me gramps or points out what year I was born or someone makes a pop culture reference that completely goes over my head. That feeling was nothing compared to seeing my army buddies' children's children. It really emphasized how many years I'd missed and I felt completely out of place," Steve admitted.

"You wanna feel really old?" Darcy asked with a smirk.

"Not really. No," Steve said with a chuckle.

She smiled mischievously at him. "I was born in 1989."

He groaned. "Don't tell me that. Geez. I don't want to think about there being 70 years between when I was born and when you were born. That's just not right. Damn, you're kind of mean."

She laughed at him and nudged his shoulder. "I couldn't resist. The look on your face was totally worth it though. Absolute misery."

Just as they'd reached his door Tony rounded the corner and Steve tensed. Stark had neglected to send Darcy and Jane to the infirmary. Stark had essentially caused the attack in the first place. And from what he could tell he hadn't even apologized. Tony didn't see them. He was too busy tapping around on his tablet and talking to Jarvis. Steve's eyes narrowed on him before he turned to Darcy.

"You go ahead," Steve told her as he motioned to his door. "I'll catch up."

Her eyes flicked to Tony and she shifted nervously which caused her to wince briefly before she spoke. She didn't know it, but that wince only made him angrier with Stark.

"Steve, don't. I mean I want to see him get the humility beat into him as much as the next girl but really, you don't have to—"

"I just need to have a quick word with him," Steve said in a tone she was fairly certain he reserved strictly for Captain America business. She filed that away in her Avengers file with the other information she'd gathered. Now she knew if that tone was ever directed at her that he meant business.

"Fine, but no violence in the hallway. Pepper wouldn't want any damage done to the building. She's responsible for 12% of it, you know," Darcy said with a teasing smirk.

Steve chuckled and put one hand over his heart. "No violence. I swear."

"For Pepper?" Darcy asked as she quirked a brow at him. "If you swear something for her and then don't follow through she will kick your ass. Even if you are Captain America."

"And you won't?" He asked with a grin.

"Oh no I would, but a Pepper Potts beat down is more psychologically damaging. Woman knows how to lay on a guilt trip like no one else," Darcy told him with a chuckle. "How else do you think Tony is so wrapped around her finger?"

Steve snorted and rolled his eyes. "Fine, I swear _for Pepper_ no violence."

"Okay then," She said as she gave him a skeptical look. "And remember I'm just beyond that door. If you go full super soldier on him _I will hear it_. Clear?"

Steve grinned at her and nodded. "Clear. Now will you go?"

"I'm gone," She said as she raised her hands in surrender and then stepped inside his apartment.

Tony passed by just as the door closed and Steve firmly called his name.

"Stark."

Tony paused and then turned to face him.

"Yes, grandpa? Something you need? Hey, aren't you back early?"

"Did you bother checking either Darcy or Dr. Foster for injuries before you dismissed them completely?" Steve asked with a glare.

"What?" Stark asked as he took a moment to remember. "Oh that. They were fine. Both walking upright and everything. Lewis was even yelling obscenities at me. Totally a good sign."

"Oh, really? You think so do you? You were just willing to go by the visual, huh? You could have at least had JARVIS scan when they came in the door. Did you even apologize for whatever experiment you were doing that went haywire?" Steve asked with a tense jaw. "Darcy almost _died_, Stark. Do you understand that or does that mean nothing to you?"

"Well, clearly she didn't. So everything's okay," Stark said as he waved his hand and turned his focus back to his tablet. "She's fine, Rogers. Darcy's the toughest miniature woman I know. She tasered Thor for Christ's sake. I think she can take care of herself."

"Because wounds are _always_ physical, aren't they Stark? Emotions don't have anything to do with it," Steve said dryly.

Stark smirked at him. "You've learned sarcasm I see. Good job. That _almost_ stung." Stark sighed and his posture slumped. "Look, I get it. I'm a jackass. I know this. And above anyone else here I should probably be more sensitive about the emotional ramifications of a near death experience. And, yes, I know this was all my fault. I've already gotten an earful from Pepper. I'll make it up to them," Tony promised.

"How?" Steve asked warily.

"The usual stuff," Stark said with a smirk. "Flowers, chocolates, their own fully furnished suites in Avengers Tower, full Stark Industries funding for Dr. Foster's research, access to my R&amp;D labs, whatever they want really. Outside my company, my woman, and my suit of course."

"I'll hold you to that," Steve said evenly.

"I have no doubt that you will. Anything else you need, Stars and Stripes? Or am I free to go?" Tony asked as he motioned over his shoulder. "I have a lab situation to contain. Most of my equipment is still smoking."

Steve sighed and shook his head at him. "Yeah, go. We're done."

"See you later, Capsicle. Have a patriotic day," Tony said with a mock salute as he turned and continued down the hall.

Steve rolled his eyes and stepped into his apartment. He nearly jumped when he found Darcy leaning against the wall beside the door. She smirked at him and chuckled.

"That went better than I expected," Darcy told him with a grin. "I guess I'm getting my own apartment. As long as I don't have to pay rent I'll be living like a queen. Guess that kind of makes up for nearly drowning in a huge pile of mud. " She laughed merrily and smiled brightly at him.

"You were listening to that?" Steve asked nervously.

Darcy nodded. "Heard the whole thing. You know that stern Captain America routine is pretty hot actually. Very sexy. I bet it gets you all the ladies."

Steve blushed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I've never used it before. Not on the dames at least."

Darcy flashed him an amused grin. "You said dames. That's adorable." She paused and then her expression grew serious. "Thank you, Steve. I know I've said this before but still, thank you. For letting me use your shower, borrow your clothes, use your laundry room, and for talking to Tony. I really appreciate it."

He smiled at her and then ducked his head shyly. He opened his mouth to speak but Darcy interrupted him.

"All in a days work, ma'am," She said in a voice that sounded remarkably like his own. "And the day is saved. Thanks to…Captain America!"

Steve laughed loudly before he pulled a rubbery face that showed he didn't quite agree with the accuracy of her impression. He quirked a brow at her and smirked. "You're a bit of a mess, Darcy Lewis."

"A _hot _mess," She said with a wink. "You got any food around here?"

"I've barely known you a day and you already want to steal my food?" Steve asked as he followed her to his kitchen.

"You've already clothed and medicated me, Rogers. Feeding me won't be that much more of an effort," She said teasingly.

"Why do I feel like I've gotten in over my head with this new strange friendship we've formed?" Steve asked as he watched her help herself to the contents of his fridge.

"Oh you're definitely in over your head," Darcy said as she pulled out the Chinese leftovers he'd been craving earlier. "After all, I'm totally adorable."

Steve rolled his eyes and swatted her hand away from his food. "You can eat anything else you want but the Chinese food is mine."


	3. Before Darcy Moved In (Completely)

Exposed

By angellwings

* * *

_Before Darcy Moved In (Completely)_

* * *

"Stark!"

Steve looked up as Darcy came storming into the lab and rounded on Stark. He watched in amusement as she stepped into Tony's personal space and shoved a transparent square with a pair of earbuds wrapped around it into his face.

"What the Odin is this shit?"

Tony craned his neck back to get a better look at the object that was clutched in her hand.

"A StarkPlayer. For those ungodly playlists you like to make," Tony said plainly before he turned back to his work. "Gramps," Tony said as he looked up at Steve. "Your shield's gonna take another hour or so. JARVIS is putting a fresh coat of paint on it."

"What about the word 'iPod' is unclear to you?" Darcy asked as she leaned against the table Stark was standing in front of. "Do I need to write it down for you?" She shook the StarkPlayer at him. "I don't know what the hell to do with this damn thing. This screen is ridiculous. I can't even read it. I keep getting distracted by the fact that I can see my frakin' hand through it."

"I'm sorry that advanced technology is such a struggle for you," Stark said in an unsympathetic tone. "Now shoo. You're chattering is distracting."

"I want an iPod. Not this piece of crap. iPod's are familiar, iPod's are comfort, iPod's are miraculous. I cannot deal right now," Darcy said as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

Steve watched the two of them curiously. Tony had all the power in this situation but Darcy didn't appear to care about that. She was tenacious and passionate and not at all shy about. It intimidated him and attracted him all at once. His eyes instinctually raked over her as she stood there with her arms crossed and hip cocked out to the side.

Darcy finally noticed his presence and stared at him expectantly.

"What?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes on him.

Steve blushed and stood a little straighter. "N—nothing. What's this thing you're complaining about?" He asked as he changed the subject.

"Stark's poor man's MP3 player. It didn't work for Zune and it's not going to work for you, Tony. Buy. Me. An. iPod. You're a freakin' billionaire. It's not like you can't afford it," Darcy said as she smacked Tony's shoulder and tossed the StarkPlayer to Steve. Steve studied it and turned it over in his hand, but he had no idea what to do with it. He didn't even see a way to turn it on.

"Apple products are not allowed in my building. If you plan on moving in tomorrow you should learn the rules. No iPads, no MacBooks, and _especially _nothing with that ridiculous click wheel. Whoever came up with a device that inconvenient deserves to be dropped from a Chitauri wormhole a million times over. Who thought that was even a remotely intelligent idea?" Tony muttered as he moved screens around himself and viewed schematics neither Steve nor Darcy could make any sense of.

"I don't give a damn about your views on the click wheel. Deal with it, Stark. It's a part of reality. Are you gonna get me an iPod or not?" Darcy demanded as she put herself between Tony and the screen he was currently working on.

Tony opened his mouth to say no but Steve cleared his throat purposefully and caught Tony's attention. Steve gave him a stern look.

"You said, _anything she wanted_, Stark. You still owe her for cleaning up your mess in case you've forgotten," Steve said as he moved to stand with Darcy. He took a firm stance behind her and waited for Tony's reply.

Tony groaned as if he were in pain and slammed a fist against the table in front of him. "Fine," he said through his teeth. "I'll buy you an iPod."

"Yes!" Darcy exclaimed as she pumped her fist into the air. "Victory is mine!"

She turned suddenly, hopped up on the tips of her toes, and placed a quick and excited kiss on Steve's cheek. Afterwards she backed away from him with a wink. "You are beautiful and I will be forever grateful for the back up." She saluted him before she turned on her heel and left the room. Practically gone as quickly as she appeared.

Steve was rooted to his spot. He was too shocked to move. What had just happened?

"Hey, Old Timer, you gonna stand there looking mooney-eyed all day? Because if you are I'm going to put you to work. If not get the hell out of my lab," Tony said as he motioned for Steve to step away from his monitor.

"Your hospitality is touching," Steve said dryly.

"If you want hospitality you'll have to move a lot further south than New York City," Tony said simply as he pointed to the open door of his lab. "Out, and lock the door behind you."

Steve rolled his eyes and left the lab. He was surprised to find Darcy still waiting by the elevators. She noticed Steve's surprised look and smirked.

"Clint and Natasha were in the last elevator. I thought it best if I let them have their weird secret-agent-assassin alone time," She explained.

He chuckled. "Of course. So, you're moving in tomorrow? Officially, I mean."

She nodded. "Yes, and I have a shit ton of crap to move in. You wouldn't think so judging by the size of my apartment, but apparently I've crammed more in there than should be realistically possible."

"Do you need any help?" Steve offered immediately.

"Are you serious?" Darcy asked with a smile.

"I would never expect you to move all of your stuff in by yourself," Steve told her with a modest shrug.

"You are way too much of a gentleman and I am more than willing to take advantage of it. Normally I wouldn't, but I have a _ton_ of books. We're talking boxes and boxes of books. Boxes that would be best lifted by you and your all American good looks and too good to be true muscles."

He grinned sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair as he blushed. "So what time do you want me?"

Darcy's eyes widened and the tips of her ears flushed pink ever so slightly but she continued to smirk at him. And suddenly he realized exactly what he'd asked her.

"Here. What time do you want me _here_. To _help_?" He clarified as his cheeks went from pink to bright red in a span of seconds.

Darcy laughed loud and hard until it slowly dissolved into giggles. Her laughter wasn't malicious at all. It was actually nice. She wasn't laughing at him. He was certain of that. Before long he was smiling and lightly chuckling along with her.

"Oh Holy Thor, you are adorable. I'm sorry, but your face was just too cute," Darcy said as she took slow breaths and calmed herself down.

Steve cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "So, time?"

"Right sorry. Um, is nine okay? There's a moving truck bringing over furniture and things at eight, but in New York traffic with a huge ass truck I'm thinking it won't be here until nine," Darcy said as she closed one eye and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

He smiled at her in amusement and then nodded. "Nine is great."

"Okay then. It's a date!" Darcy said brightly as the elevator doors opened. "Or, well, no it's not, it's more like indentured slavery. But I promise I'll pay you with take out, and considering the rumors I've heard about your metabolism that's probably more than fair."

Steve laughed and nodded. "You would be right." He motioned for her to step into the elevator first and she smiled thankfully at him.

"Always the gentleman," She said with a chuckle. "So I'll see you tomorrow at nine?"

He smirked playfully at her as he nodded again before he answered. "It's a date."


	4. After Darcy Moved In (Completely)

Exposed

By angellwings

* * *

After Darcy Moved In (Completely)

* * *

"What is this?" Steve asked as he lightly kicked a box in the corner of Darcy's apartment.

"A box, Steve. You know, those rectangular things that people store stuff in," Darcy said with a grin as she put away the left overs from the dinner she'd made.

"It looks like a box you haven't unpacked yet," Steve said in a dry tone as he gave her a flat no nonsense expression.

Her expression turned innocent. He didn't buy it.

"What?" She asked in as she dragged out the vowel. "Is it? I had no idea."

"Darce," Steve said with a chuckle. "It's one box. You can't put it away? You've been moved in for three weeks now."

"So? I've always had one box I never unpack. I lived in the same apartment at Culver for four years and still had one box that I never opened. Everyone has one," Darcy said with a shrug.

"I don't," Steve told her as he picked up the box off the floor. It was very light and he wondered why she didn't unpack this box of all the many boxes he'd helped her move in.

"Of course you don't. You're actually organized," Darcy said with a roll of her eyes.

"What's in here that you don't want to unpack?" Steve asked her suspiciously.

"Nothing!" She insisted. She seemed a little too eager to dismiss the box.

"So, then you wouldn't mind if I opened it?" Steve asked as he smirked teasingly at her.

"I, um, no," Darcy said reluctantly. "Why would I mind?"

"Okay," Steve said slowly with a grin. He reached for the tape on the box and peeled it off. Darcy came to stand beside him and he could feel her body tense next to his. He waited for her to stop him.

Just as he started to lift one of the flaps on the box Darcy's hand darted out to stop him. "You know, you don't have to do that. I'll just unpack it later. I mean you helped out enough on the day of when I needed to rearrange the furniture. I can take care of this."

Steve smirked at her slowly. Almost sinfully, Darcy thought as she gulped nervously. "I don't mind," Steve told her in a tone that both infuriated her and intrigued her. It was a cat ate the canary grin if she ever saw one. "That is if you don't."

Darcy held her breath for a moment before she let out a resigned puff of air and moved her hand. "Fine. Open it. But don't judge me."

He grinned mischievously. "I would never."

Darcy rolled her eyes and waved at him dismissively. "Sure you wouldn't."

He opened the box and found two throw pillows on top a pair of t-shirts and two narrow shoeboxes. Steve blinked at the contents. Nothing really stood out as embarrassing or worth hiding. He quirked a brow at her. "Why were you hiding this?"

Darcy buried her face in her hands and groaned miserably. He also thought there were supposed to be words in there somewhere.

"What was that?" He asked with a small grin.

She groaned again but removed her hands from her face as she sat down on her couch. He waited for her to continue. She didn't. She still looked completely embarrassed which meant she did have something to hide. He decided to take a second look at the contents of the box. That's when he noticed something on one of the shirts.

_His face_. Well, The Captain's face. He pulled the shirt out of the box and held it up so he could see it. It had one of the old USO tour posters with The Captain pointing and the phrase "I want you…to buy war bonds" on it. It looked older and a little faded, but he had a feeling it would still fit her perfectly. Well, maybe not perfectly. It looked big for her frame, even considering her…curves. The idea of Darcy wearing a shirt with his face on it was surprisingly sexy. He blushed at the thought and set the shirt aside.

The other shirt was bright red and when he unfolded he winced and laughed loudly.

Darcy groaned again and hid her face in one of the throw pillows on the couch. He turned around and held up the shirt for her to see.

"You have a shirt with Tony's face on it," Steve stated as if it was the most ridiculous sentence he'd ever uttered.

"Not his face," Darcy objected. "Just his hairstyle and stupid goatee-mustache thing. His facial features are clearly not there."

"Why does it say, 'The Tony'?" Steve asked as he tried to hide his grin.

"It was an impulse buy! It was after the New York attack and I thought it was funny! All the barbershops had his hairstyle on their posters and it just amused me, okay? I didn't actually plan on wearing it. I put it in my dresser drawer and forgot about it! And then I found out I was moving in here and I didn't want Stark to find it and torture me about it so I hid it!" Darcy exclaimed. "You're Captain America! You can't judge me! It's unpatriotic!"

He laughed and shook his head. "I wouldn't dream of it. I mean I don't really understand why you would want a shirt with Tony's face on it but—"

"It's not his face! It's his hairstyle and trim! That's it! See, this is why I hid it when I moved in here!" Darcy yelled with a huff.

He watched in amusement as she laid down on the couch with her face buried in the armrest and refused to look up at him.

He smirked and shook his head. "Okay, moving on." He put the "Tony" shirt aside and then pulled out one of the shoeboxes. He gently lifted the lid and smiled softly at the contents. Why would she hide all of this? None of it seemed incriminating. There were a couple of books, a beat up teddy bear, a bible, a collection of small detailed glass bottles, a small antique door knob, and, surprisingly, a shell casing from a rifle. It was a strange mix of items and he couldn't think of a single reason these things would be hidden away in a box.

He heard shuffling behind him and turned to see Darcy getting up from the couch and joining him. She bit her bottom lip and stared down at the shoebox.

She smiled softly at him before she slowly reached for the teddy bear.

"They're things that remind me of my family," She explained. She hugged the teddy bear and smiled warmly at it. "This guy was mine from the day my parents brought me home from the hospital. His name is Cubby."

She held out the bear's worn paw to Steve for a handshake and stared at him expectantly. He chuckled and reached forward to shake the stuffed animal's paw.

"Nice to meet you, Cubby," He said with a nod.

Darcy laughed lightly and then placed the bear back into the box. "I've got a wide mix of things in here. My mother's bible her great-grandmother gave her for her tenth birthday, my father's well read copy of _Common Sense_—he loved history and politics. If it weren't for him I wouldn't have had any idea what to study in school, but he passed his love of politics on to me. So, voila, now I have the most useless degree to ever exist." She paused and moved a few of the items around. "My diary—no you can't read it and you can't tell anyone it exists—and the doorknob from the bedroom I grew up in. Our house was old and drafty, but I loved it. We had to move into a condo when I was about twelve. Dad lost his job and the one he got to replace it didn't make anywhere near as much. I stole the doorknob to make the people who moved in miserable. Or so I thought. Doorknobs seemed a lot harder to replace when I was twelve—"

"Darcy, you don't have to tell me any—"

She shook her head at him and cut off his sentence. "I want to. I…trust you. I mean you've seen me sobbing uncontrollably and haven't told a soul. That means a lot to me, Steve. More than you could know."

He nodded and smiled kindly at her for a lingering moment. He picked up one of the glass bottles. "And these?"

"My grandmother's old perfume bottles. She always smelled like roses and vanilla. I won't ever forget that smell but in case I do the bottles still smell like her perfume. So when we moved her things out of her old house I swiped a few of them," She said as she took the bottle from him and studied it before she lifted it to her nose and sniffed. She smiled brightly and then placed the bottle carefully back into the box. When she put the bottle back she picked up the rifle shell casing and then placed it in Steve's palm.

"It's from my grandfather's 21 gun salute at his funeral," She stated simply. He closed his fingers around it and swallowed thickly.

"He died at the ripe old age of 82 when I was in elementary school," she told him with a sad smile. "He lied to join the Navy. He was sixteen and he told them he was eighteen. He wanted to help so badly." She smiled fondly then and chuckled. "He used to tell the best stories. He had all kinds of voices, and he completely spoiled me. He let me have cookies and milk for breakfast."

"What war?" Steve asked thoughtfully as he turned the casing over in his hand. He was almost certain he knew what her answer would be but he'd been wrong before. There'd been more wars than he would have liked in all the decades that he'd missed.

"Yours," Darcy answered. "He used to say he survived by the skin of his teeth."

"Sounds like I would have liked him," Steve said softly.

"He would have loved you," She said as she watched him study the rifle casing.

"You think?" Steve asked as he looked up from the casing for the first time since she'd placed it in his palm.

She met his eyes and nodded. "Definitely."

A quiet moment passed between them. It was full of memories and lost loved ones and things neither of them really wished to talk about. Steve handed the casing back to Darcy and she silently placed it inside and then put the lid back on the shoebox.

"Why do you hide it all in a shoebox?" Steve asked quietly.

She shrugged and sighed. "These are the things that mean the most to me and I've trusted the wrong people with them before. It hurts so I'd rather not risk that again. All of the things in this box are a little piece of me, you know? I need to know the person who sees them isn't going to cut and run at the first sign of trouble. So, I wait to show people these things until I'm sure."

He considered her words and then smiled brightly at her. "Does this mean you're sure about me?"

She nodded. "Like I said, Rogers, I can trust you. It's that simple."


	5. Why Steve Sketches Darcy (Covertly)

Exposed

By angellwings

* * *

Why Steve Sketches Darcy (Covertly)

* * *

Tony's prototype arc reactor energy is a huge success.

Ninety-nine percent of the time.

The other one percent leaves the Avengers without air conditioning in the middle of July. The Tower starts to look like an island paradise as more and more people break out their shorts and tank tops and lightweight clothing. The power still works thanks to the back up generator but there's not enough generator power to operate the lights, computers, lab equipment _and_ air conditioning. Clearly something had to be sacrificed and since Tony can't function without JARVIS the air conditioning had to go.

One by one Steve had watched his brothers-in-arms fall to cut off shorts and low cut tank tops. Thor didn't even last an hour. He wasn't accustomed to seeing Dr. Foster without her usual denim jeans and flannel shirts. Seeing her in a low cut white camisole had left him weak the way no battle ever had. Tony had lasted half a day before Pepper's long legs had finally finished him off. And Clint…well surprisingly Clint had been the one to break Natasha.

It had been a sight to see when Natasha finally pulled a smirking, shirtless Clint into her apartment. Steve didn't want to know any part of what happened behind _those_ closed doors.

Now it was just him and Bruce. A victorious smirk spread across Bruce's face as the door to the communal kitchen opened and he chuckled quietly.

"I think me and the Other Guy are going to win this game," He said with a grin.

"Oh yeah?" Steve asked challengingly. "Why's that?"

"Because I think _your_ weakness just walked through the door."

Steve moved to turn but Bruce "tisk"ed at him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said in a warning tone.

Steve had never been one to back down from a fight so he turned.

And boy did he wish he hadn't.

Darcy was wearing the shirt he'd found in her apartment the other day. The oversized Captain America shirt with his face and pointing finger that said "I want you…to buy war bonds." Except Darcy had it tied up at the waist and all you could see was his face and torso and the words "I want you."

He gulped and tried to look away but he couldn't seem to move.

The look was completed with a pair of high waisted red shorts with the shortest inseam he'd ever seen. They barely covered three inches of her thighs. He was captivated as she padded around the kitchen in barefeet and looked for something in the cabinets that was just a bit too high for her. He took in a deep calming breath as she leaned up on her toes and extended the length of her legs.

He was done for. Bruce was right. He shouldn't have looked.

The shirt lifted a fraction of an inch more as she extended and he got a glimpse of something red and lacy. He had sudden flashes of pin up pictures his men had kept with them overseas and pictured Darcy in a one of those _provocative_ poses. He blushed furiously and tried to keep his eyes from focusing on her bare midriff.

This was too much.

"Steve!" Darcy suddenly called.

He froze and glanced at Bruce for help.

Bruce smirked and shook his head. "She asked for you, my friend. Not me."

He slowly stood and hoped he hadn't heard her right.

"Can you come and get this bowl down for me? Geez, what idiot put the cereal bowls on the top shelf?"

Steve closed his eyes and let out a long suffering sigh before he walked over to join Darcy in the kitchen. She had climbed onto the counter on her knees and still couldn't reach. He chuckled at her and held out his hand to help her down. She huffed and begrudgingly accepted it. His other hand brushed against the bare skin on her waist as he lowered her to the floor. His hand itched and burned to touch more of her and he recoiled.

She gave him a strange look. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah—" He stopped short as his voice cracked and took another deep breath. "I'm fine. Which bowl?"

"The blue one on the top shelf," She told him.

He reached up and grabbed the bowl before handing it to her. She smiled and nodded her thanks at him.

"It's hard to have cereal without a bowl," Darcy said with a friendly smile. "So, what are you up to on this miserably overheated day?"

"Not much of anything, really," Steve said as he blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yourself?"

"Oh, you know, trying to stay cool and avoid walking in on Jane and Thor during an…intimate moment. If you know what I mean. I swear every time I leave the lab the dude has on less and less clothing," Darcy said with a roll of her eyes. "Not that I mind really. He is awfully _muscle-y_. I only mind when I walk in on him sucking on Jane's neck or putting his hand up her shirt. Seriously, I'm tempted to throw them both in a cold shower and tell them to find a room." She paused and looked at him thoughtfully. "What is it about hot days that make people so crazy hormonal?"

He laughed nervously. "No clue."

"So, if I can get the Asgardian and the Nerd to retreat to mutual quarters I was thinking we'd hang out. You still haven't seen the Star Trek movies have you?" She asked as she leaned her weight on one leg and then cocked her hip out to the side.

"Ah, no. I haven't. I just finished the series," He said as he purposefully avoided looking at her below the neck.

"Awesome, so we can hang out. That is if you don't have any other plans?" She asked.

Oh no, he could not handle alone time with her. It would all be over then. "I, um, I can't. Can I…can I take a rain check?" The words pained him as soon as he said them and reminded him of another missed date.

A hand touched his arm and he looked up to find Darcy's concerned eyes on him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," He said as he swallowed thickly. "Thanks I just…"

She smiled kindly at him and squeezed his arm. "You don't have to explain. No worries. So, we'll hang out later?"

He nodded. "Next free night I have."

"Promise?" She asked as she turned and got a box of cereal off the cabinet and poured it into her bowl.

"Promise," he said with an affectionate smile.

She turned back around and winked at him with a playful salute. "Aye aye, Captain. I'll hold you to that."

She walked passed him toward the door and he turned to watch her go. He gulped as he watched her hips sway while she walked. He'd narrowly escaped. How he'd managed that was beyond him.

He crossed the room to the table where he left Bruce and found him shaking his head at him. "I can't believe it. You should have gone for it, Steve. I wouldn't have held it against you."

"She might have. I'm not sure how welcome my advances would have been," Steve said as he scratched behind his hear with a bashful expression.

"Are you kidding?" Bruce asked as he furrowed his brow at Steve. "You're not kidding?"

Steve sighed and shrugged.

Bruce grinned at him. "I'm sorry, you've got to give me a minute. The Other Guy is laughing."

"What? What's so funny?" Steve asked in confusion.

"A lot of things, Steve. A lot of things," Bruce said with a soft chuckle. "Most importantly, the fact that you don't _know_ that Darcy actually likes you."

"Well, of course she likes me—"

"No, Rogers. She _likes_ you," Bruce said with a smirk.

"What?" He asked.

Bruce sighed. "I don't know how I could make it any clearer."

"No, it's clear I just…_really_?" Steve asked.

Bruce nodded.

Steve ran a hand through his hair and then shook his head. "I have to go."

"Where you going?" Bruce asked.

"I need to think," Steve said with a nod as he stood up from the table.

Bruce gave him a look of understanding but followed it by saying, "Don't think too long. You don't want to miss out on something great because of unnecessary doubt."

Steve nodded and then headed back toward his apartment. He tried training, catching up on more pop culture and history that he'd missed, filling out the paperwork he never seemed to get around to from old missions, he'd even tried practicing a few new recipes Pepper had given him. None of it helped. Finally, with all other options exhausted he dug out his sketchbook and his pencils and sat down. He didn't think. He just sketched.

And sketched. And sketched. And _sketched_.

After enough time had passed he put down his pencil and finally looked at what he'd been furiously sketching…_and blushed_. It was Darcy. She was in her outfit from today in the style of a 1940s pin up girl. He almost couldn't believe he'd drawn it. A lump rose in his throat and he felt something warm start to burn in his chest. He'd always known she was attractive. He'd noticed it from the very beginning but it was the whole package that was so enticing to him. She was brash and loud and unapologetic but somehow kind and considerate and even gentle in her rare vulnerable moments.

He was intrigued and attracted but he'd never really admitted it until now. And _now_ he was having a hard time thinking about anything else.

He was in serious trouble.


	6. After Steve Sketches Darcy (Covertly)

After Steve Sketches Darcy (Covertly)

* * *

Darcy sighed and marched down the hallway toward Steve's apartment. He was home. JARVIS told her so. There had been no missions or needs to assemble for a whole week and yet he hadn't called her for that movie night he'd promised. Nor had he let himself be alone in a room with her. Darcy knew when she was being avoided. She'd been avoided enough to know the signs by heart.

But she did not have to sit back and take it. Not from Captain Freakin' America. He was not a fucking gutless wonder. He was truth, justice, and the American Way. She was going to get the truth out of him whether he liked it or not.

She glared at his door and then banged on it with all the force she could muster and didn't stop until he opened it.

He had the common sense to look embarrassed and smile apologetically at her.

"Darcy."

"Steve," she said through a tense jaw. "You're avoiding me."

"I, um, I don't mean to. It just…happens," He said as he flushed and ducked his head bashfully.

"It just happens?" Darcy asked with a quirked brow. "You just _happen_ to _accidentally_ disappear when I walk into the room? Really, Rogers? Is that the best you've got?"

He opened his mouth to protest but sighed and opened the door wider for her. "Would you like to come in?" He asked.

"I don't go where I'm not wanted," Darcy said stubbornly as she crossed her arms over her chest. She saw Steve's eyes drift toward her cleavage before they frantically looked away and she bit back a grin.

"It's never been a matter of whether or not I want you around, Darcy," Steve said honestly as he caught her gaze.

"Really?" She asked with a skeptical expression.

He motioned for her to step into his apartment. "Really. If you'll come in then I'll try to explain myself."

"Fine," Darcy said as she tilted her chin higher. "But I'm not happy about it."

Steve flashed her half of a smile. "I wouldn't expect you to be."

As she entered Steve's apartment she spotted an easel in the corner. He'd been drawing. She took a few steps toward it as Steve was shutting the door until he suddenly caught her attention.

"Would you like some coffee?"

He'd started that sentence in an urgent and anxious tone and she responded with giving him a confused look. When she didn't answer he stepped toward her and gently placed a hand under her elbow.

"Coffee?" He asked again as he physically led her away from the easel.

"Steve, is there something on that easel you don't want me to see?" Darcy asked with a knowing smirk.

"I've got some Chinese food leftovers in the fridge. How about I just give them to you instead of waiting for you to steal them?"

Darcy rolled her eyes and pulled her arm from Steve's. "You're a terrible liar and you have a god awful poker face. What's on the easel, Rogers?"

He blushed and looked down at the floor. "Darcy…"

"Yes?" Darcy asked as she placed her hands on her hips and stared him down.

He sighed and stepped to the side to allow her to cross the room to the easel. "See for yourself."

He watched her nervously as she approached the easel. She stared at it for a moment before her eyes widened and he was certain that she'd figured out what he'd drawn. He took a deep breath and waited for the fall out.

"Is that…_me_?" She asked quietly. She was wearing her Captain America shirt tied up at the waist and red high-waisted shorts and her pose was…a bit _racy_ for something drawn from Captain America's imagination. She severely underestimated the Boy Scout's hormones. Apparently, the sight of her midriff and legs did as much to him as the sight of him in a muscle tee and basketball shorts did to her. For most of that week she'd watched him walk around in work out clothes instead of his usual khakis, button up, and leather jacket. The unobstructed view of his muscles had been too much.

Could anyone blame her for trying to tempt him in those shorts and a shirt with his face on it? I mean really. He was hella gorgeous. She'd assumed when he'd let her leave the kitchen that he was as impervious to hormones as he was to alcohol.

That assumption had clearly been incorrect.

"Is that how you see me?" She asked him curiously.

He had no idea how to answer that. He'd heard Darcy's repetitive lectures about how much she hated it when guys talked to her breasts instead of her face and it was a justifiable complaint. She was more than her looks. He knew that. But she was undeniably attractive with curves in all the right places and full pouty lips that made him wonder if they were as soft as they looked. So there wasn't a way he could answer with a clear yes or no. Yes, he thought she was sexy. No, that wasn't how he saw _all_ of her. She was more than that. So, how was he supposed to answer that? Was this a test? Did she mean to bait him into an argument?

"I see more than that," he said finally. "But—"

"Strictly physically speaking, though, is that what I look like to you?" She asked again.

Steve's face reddened and he nodded. "Yes. Yes it is."

"Wow," Darcy said with a grin. "I like seeing myself through your eyes. It's very…revealing. Literally."

"I don't want you to think that I—"

Darcy chuckled at him. "I know, I know. You value my personality as much as my looks. You don't need to tell me. I know you well enough to know that, Rogers. Sometimes, it's nice to know that someone finds me attractive. It's hard being the only single woman left in a building full of hyper attractive people." She grinned sheepishly. "I kind of feel like the red headed step child. Like the token average person you guys keep as a team mascot or something."

"Darce, that's not why—"

"I know that, Steve, I do. But believing it is hard sometimes."

"You're gorgeous," Steve said before he could talk himself out of it. "I don't understand how you don't see that for yourself."

Darcy blushed from the top of her hairline to the curve of her neck and the warmth he'd been feeling in the pit of his stomach at the very thought of her returned. She smiled slowly and then let her wavy hair fall across her face as she turned to look at him. Probably in an attempt to hide her blush he thought. Though he didn't understand why. He liked it when she blushed.

"So, you really liked that outfit, huh?" Darcy asked him in an amused tone.

Steve laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "If there hadn't been a wager involved I probably wouldn't have been able to resist you."

Her eyebrows rose and she turned her smirk on him. "A wager?"

"We had a bet going to see who would resist their hormones in the heat the longest. There was a money pool," he told her honestly.

"And everyone participated?"

"Everyone but Hawkeye," Steve said with a shrug.

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Of course not. He probably had nefarious plans in mind to break Natasha. Who won?"

"Me," Steve said as he ran a hand through his hair.

Darcy looked surprised. "You outlasted Banner?"

He smirked. "Dr. Ross paid us a surprise visit."

"Uh huh, and who called her do you think?" Darcy asked him pointedly.

"I just thought she might be able to help Dr. Foster out with her latest work with wormholes. Gamma radiation can be used for so many things nowadays," Steve said with an unconvincing shrug.

Darcy laughed loudly and shook her head at him. "Yet I never saw her in the lab. I'm guessing she never quite made it that far?"

"I wouldn't know. All I did was let her in the building and point her in the direction of Dr. Foster's lab. What happened between the door and the lab was not disclosed to me," Steve said with a small smirk.

"Do you often play dirty? Because that was pretty underhanded, Boy Scout," Darcy said with a grin.

"I told you. I was never a boy scout." He threw a charming boyish smile her way before he continued to answer her. "I just asked myself what you would do in that situation since you were obviously a criminal in another life."

Darcy laughed again and shoved his shoulder playfully. "Dork."

He grabbed her hand as she removed it from his shoulder and held it in between them. "I'm sorry I avoided you. I didn't know what else to do. I…"

"You freaked?" She asked sympathetically.

"I didn't know how to act around you anymore," He told her honestly. "Or what to say. I—I'm not good at this. Never have been."

She smiled softly and squeezed his hand. "Not good at what, exactly?"

"Relationships, dating—the whole romance thing. I still feel like that 90 pound guy that could never get a woman to take him seriously," Steve said with a small smile.

"I've seen the photos and the footage," Darcy told him. "I've always thought 90 pound Steve was cute."

"Cute?" Steve asked with a rueful smile. "See, you would have been one of those girls who ruffled my hair and told me what a great friend I was." He shook his head and chuckled. "They always called me cute too. And sweet. I was always 'cute and sweet' and such a 'good friend.'"

"Not true," Darcy assured him. "If you were 90 pound Steve right now at this very moment I would still want to go out with you. Provided you had the same big heart and the same caring blue eyes."

His smirk fell and he fixed a very serious stare on her. "Honestly? You mean that?"

"You see more than my curves when you look at me right? Well, I see more than the muscles when I look at you," She told him. "There's more to you than Captain America and anyone who can't see that doesn't deserve to—"

She was suddenly interrupted by Steve's lips on hers. She made a muffled started sound and wrapped her arms around is neck. He straightened himself up and her arms tightened around him as her feet left the ground. His arms secured her to him by completely surrounding her waist. One of his rather large hands rested on the small of her back while the other found its way into the ends of her hair. He deepened the kiss and she moaned into his mouth. He backed her toward the nearest wall and pressed her against it as he continued to thoroughly kiss her lips and explore her mouth. He finally pulled away for air and rested his forehead against hers.

She took a deep breath and felt her face flush. "Holy shit, Steve."

He laughed and blushed. "How was that?"

"That was…that was…_holy shit_."

He laughed again. "Have I ever complimented you on your vast vocabulary because, really, it's impressive."

She blushed and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Shut up." She laughed softly. "You can't kiss me like that and then expect me to be all eloquent and shit."

He laughed again. "Clearly."

"So is kissing a woman easier for you than asking her out? I ask because I'm being held here pressed up against a wall by your excellent firm chest and yet still I've not been wined and dined as is the custom," Darcy said as she gave him a haughty look. "How's that for vocabulary, Steven?"

He smiled shyly at her but still didn't ask.

"You're pretty much guaranteed a yes. All you have to do is ask."

Silence stretched out between them as Steve looked at her thoughtfully.

She grinned at him in amusement. "Jesus, Steve. You can take down like a billion guys single handedly while trapped in an elevator. How are you not able to do this?"

He chuckled at her and lowered her to the ground again. "Whatever we have, Darce, it won't be easy. You know that, right?"

"By that you mean that you'll be in lots of danger and might be gone for extended periods of time and that my association with you might, in fact, make me more of a target than I already am, right?" Darcy asked knowingly.

He nodded. "Right."

"I know," She told him with a soft smile. "It'll be a challenge, but I've never been one to back down from a challenge. Have you?"

"Not once," He told her with a bright smile.

"Okay then," Darcy said with a nod and a wink. "So, what was it you wanted to ask me?"

"I wanted to ask you if you wanted to have dinner with me in the very near future," Steve said finally as he met her eyes.

"How far into the 'very near' future are we talking?" She asked teasingly.

"Tonight?"

She nodded. "Looking forward to it." She smiled and then kissed him slowly before she pulled away to speak to him. "See, now was that really that difficult?"

"No," Steve said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her feet off the ground again. "But I can tell _you're_ going to be."

She could already see that their height difference was going to make things very interesting. She laughed and lifted her feet behind her as she spoke. "Hell yeah, baby. Better get used to it now."


End file.
